Undergarment.



UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

FRANK J. PRUE, OF \VOONSOOKET, RHODE ISLAND.

UNDERGARMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 71 1,071, dated October 14, 1902.

Application filed September 25, 1901. Serial No. 76,480. (No model.)

To (bl/l/ 1.0720752, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK J. PRUE, a citizen of the United States, residing at \Voonso'cket, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented new and useful Improvements in Undergarments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of undergarments which are provided with seat-openings and which as at present made have been found to be very objectionable, because of the tendency of the seat portions to spread apart and expose the person of the wearer, particularly when such wearer stoops, which is very uncomfortable.

The general object of the invention is to remove the objection stated without rendering the garment cu mbersome or uncomfortable in the crotch or materially increasing the cost of the same; and it consists in a garment having a vertical opening or slit in its seat, which is advantageous, because but a minimum amount of material is required to form the seat, and the seat portions are enabled to normally rest close together and cover the person of the wearer,and also having a flap which, in addition to resting over and reinforcing one or more of the seat portions and increasing the durability of the garment, is calculated when the seat portions move apart as incident to stooping of the wearer to cover the opening between said seat portions, and thereby efiectually prevent exposure of the person of the wearer.

With the foregoing in mind the invention will be fully understood from the following description and claim, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a union or combination garment embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the lower portion of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the lower portion of the garment,illustrating the flap as open; and Fig. 4 is a rear elevation illustrating a modified form of flap as partly broken away.

Referring by letter to the said drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1 to 3 thereof, A is the body portion of the garment, which above the waist may be in the usual form. Said body portion is arranged so as to button in front and down to the crotch. B B are the legs, which form continuations of the body portion. C O are seat portions, and D is a vertical slit or opening formed between the seat portions and extending from the crotch upwardly, as best shown in Fig. 3. The seat portions are designed to normally rest over and cover the buttocks of the wearer, and, as will be readily appreciated, but a minimum amount of material is required to form the same. By virtue of the central vertical slit D, extending upwardly from the crotch at the back, and the buttoned opening extending upwardly from thecrotch-i. e., communicating with the slit Dit will be seen that when the flap E is in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the crotch portion of the garment is entirely closed; also, that when the flap E is in the position shown in Fig. 3 and the lower portion of the frontis unbuttoned the crotch portion may be conveniently opened to a considerable extent, which is an important advantage. Sewed or otherwise joined to the body A, preferably at a point immediately above the upper end of the slit or opening D, is my improved flap E, Which in the preferred embodiment of the invention is of the same material as the remainder of the garment. The upper portion of the said flap is of a'width corresponding to that of the back of the body, and it is connected to said body along its upper horizontal edge, as indicated by a, and along its vertical edges, as indicated by Z). From the lower ends of the latter connections the flap is tapered or gradually reduced in width to a point below the lower end'of the slit or opening D, where it is provided with a reduced portion or tongue 0 of about the proportional width and length stated. By virtue of the flap being tapered and provided with a tongue, as stated, it is enabled to normally rest over and reinforce the seat portions 0 and to cover the slit or opening D when the seat portions G move apart, incident to stooping of the wearer, so as to effectually prevent uncovering of the wearers person, and this without rendering the garment uncomfortable or cumbersome in the crotch or at any other point and with out materially increasing its cost. The tongue 0 of the flap is of a length to be carried up the front of the body A and is detachably connected thereto by a button d or other suitable means. Hence it follows that when the wearer of the garment desires to open the flap and adjust it to the position shown in Fig. 3 the'same may be quickly and easily accomplished.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4 the construction is the same as that described, with the exception that a flap E is employed in lieu of the flap E. The said flap E is knitted or otherwise joined to one of the seat portions 0 at one edge of the slit or opening D and in its normal operative position extends over the opening, so as to cover the same, and also over the other seat portion to reinforce it and is detachably connected to the body A at one side thereof through the medium of the button d on the body or other means. As clearly shown, the flap E is of a height slightly greater than the opening D and is tapered, as indicated by 6, toward its lower end. From this it follows that While it is adapted to close the opening D and reinforce one of the seat portions 0 quite as effectually as the flap E it does not render the garment cumbersome or uncomfortable; also, that it adds but little to the cost of the garment and is adapted to be opened and closed with great facility.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

A garment buttoned down its front to its crotch and having a central vertical slit or narrow opening formed in its seat and commu nicating with the front, buttoned opening, and seat portions at opposite sides of the said slit or opening, and also having the flap E, the upper rear portion of which extends substantially throughout the width of the back of the garment so as to normally rest over and reinforce the seat portions; the said flap E being joined along its upper edge to the back of the garment above the vertical slit or opening, and tapered or gradually reduced in width from its point of connection to the crotch of the garment, and terminating at the crotch in the narrow tongue 0 of a length to reach through the crotch and partly up the front portion of the garment, and means for detachably connecting the said tongue 0 to said front portion of the garment.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK J. PRUE.

WVitnesses:

GEO. W. SPAULDING, EDGAR S. SPAULDING. 

